Drug Enforcement Administration

Two South Jersey Men Charged With Operating A Meth Lab

Cape May Court House, N.J. - - Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, Cape May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor and Lower Township Police Chief William Mastriana announce the arrest of two individuals, John Matthews, 26 and Nick Alexander, 24 both from the Villas section of Lower Township for Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility.

On December 16, 2015, the Lower Township police responded to 16 Maple Road in the Villas and found John Matthews in front of the residence with obvious burns to his face and hands from what he said were from chemicals. Additional responding officers observed Nick Alexander running from the scene and he was then detained. An investigation was conducted at the scene and it was determined Matthews and Alexander were producing Methamphetamine inside the residence. The Lower Township Police Department then notified the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Gang, Guns and Narcotics Task (GGNTF).

A court authorized search warrant was obtained for the residence. Members of the GGNTF and the Lower Township Detective Division along with Special Methamphetamine lab processing technicians from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Jersey State Police conducted the search of the residence. The Cape May County Hazmat Team also responded and assisted at the scene. Found during the search of the residence were items and equipment used to produce Methamphetamine and an amount of suspected Methamphetamine.

John Matthews and Nick Alexander were both charged with Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility a crime of the first degree. Both were lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility in lieu of $300,000.00 full cash bail set by Honorable Thomas Hillegass, J.M.C.